Pom poms are a super fun craft item that every toddler mom and dad should have in their home. They are soft and small and tailor made for toddler and preschooler play.

We have put them in water, added them to our water table, and scooped them into cups. And now, this winter, we have put them into the freezer for a fun and easy sensory activity!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Supplies

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• Pom Poms
• 41 Qt, Clear Sensory Bin (Large) or a IKEA FLISAT Children’s Sensory Table
• Ikea Trofast Toy Storage Box White, Medium
• Large plastic container
• Squeeze Bottle
• Paint Brush
• Colourful Bowls
• Towel

Set Up

Put your pom poms into a small sensory bin or plastic container that will fit into your freezer, add water and let them soak. I let mine soak for a few hours simple because I forgot about them but about 10-15 minutes should be enough. I did not completely cover the pom poms in water. The ones on the bottom were submerged but the ones on the top were not. I just made sure that they were all good and soaking wet before I put them into the freezer over night.

Playtime!

The next day when I needed an activity to get us through the afternoon, I brought them out! Immediately my three year old was hooked.

I grabbed some squeeze bottles filled them with warm water, and handed her a paint brush and other tools.

She immediately set to work to try and free them!

She squeezed the warm water onto the pom poms and them used the brush and tools to work them out.

We were having so much fun with this that I completely forgot to put a towel underneath everything. Don’t make my mistake.

Put a towel down and save yourself having to clean up water from the floor or table!

Eventually we were have to break off big chunks of frozen pom poms and separate them.

Lots of water was used for this activity. After a while I just let her go and fill up the squeeze bottles with water while I lay on the floor nearby (I was 6 months pregnant with twins when we did this activity so walking back and forth to the bathroom 7-8 times was not happening).

I eventually added a larger sensory bin for her to work in. This activity turned into a fun make believe kitchen/restaurant as many of our activities eventually do which was amazing!

She pretended to be cooking with the frozen wet pom poms, scooping in water using the squeeze bottles. I added some coloured bowls to help facilitate the play.

Pom Pom Survival

For the most part the pom poms made it through the freezing process unscathed! About 2-3 were slightly damaged. They were not completely wrecked just small pieces were torn from them. This happened when we used our hands to separate the pom poms from each other before they had truly melted. Using the tools especially the brush to work the pom poms out is definitely the way to go.

WILL YOU TRY FROZEN POM POMS WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER? Pin it For Later!!

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